The Minority in Parliament has mounted a strong defence for the ongoing industrial action by members of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), urging government to immediately address their demands in the upcoming Mid-Year Budget Review.
Ranking Member on Parliament’s Health Committee, Dr Ayew Afriyie, accused government of acting in bad faith over the delayed implementation of a collective agreement signed in May 2024. The agreement, he said, was legally binding and signed by all mandated stakeholders with an effective implementation date of July 1, 2024.
“It is the belief of the Minority in this House that government has acted in bad faith,” Dr Afriyie stated at a press conference in Parliament. “Regardless of which party is in power, public servants’ rights remain intact, and collective bargaining agreements must be respected.”
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The GRNMA began a full withdrawal of services this week after months of failed engagement with the government over their conditions of service. The Ministry of Finance has said the agreement requires GH¢2 billion to implement—an amount not captured in the 2025 Budget. Minister for Health Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has meanwhile appealed to retired nurses to return and support essential care delivery.
But Dr Afriyie said the government’s failure to act swiftly was unacceptable: “They [the nurses] were told the Finance Minister would meet them in June. The date was set for June 18. Meanwhile, they’ve been asking since January. How would you feel if every month you’re told to wait?”
He criticised the government and the National Labour Commission (NLC) for taking the nurses to court, despite what he described as procedural compliance by the GRNMA. “They wrote to the Labour Commission as required. You are supposed to respond within 48 to 72 hours. You did not. That’s bad faith,” he insisted.
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Dr Afriyie said government should have engaged the nurses in good faith and not resorted to legal action: “They [nurses] have their rights within the law. You cannot use the law to checkmate them. That is not right.”
He described the nurses’ demands, including uniform allowance, rural incentive allowance, and 13th-month pay, as “legitimate and justified,” adding that these benefits have historical precedent and cannot be revoked arbitrarily.
Calling for an immediate shift in government posture, Dr Afriyie urged the inclusion of the nurses’ demands in the forthcoming Mid-Year Budget Review: “This is the right time. Not August. We are now going to read the Mid-Year Budget. You have a tool that can solve part of the problem, use it.”
While backing the nurses’ right to strike, the Minority also appealed to them to show compassion and be willing to negotiate when engaged. “We are here to defend what is due them,” Dr Afriyie stressed. “But we are also appealing to them to be merciful. Reasonability means you appeal to their conscience.”
He dismissed attempts to politicise the matter, noting, “We are not here to do politics with healthcare. This is about lives. Government must change its posture and show some respect to nurses and midwives.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Risa Wyettey Cofie
